Hall effect devices are magnetic field sensors that are adapted to sense a magnetic field based on the Hall effect. Lateral Hall effect devices sense a magnetic field component orthogonal to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein vertical Hall effect devices sense a magnetic field component parallel to the surface of the semiconductor substrate containing the Hall effect device.
Moreover, Hall effect devices can be used for a variety of applications, such as proximity switching, positioning, speed detecting and current sensing applications. However, a drawback of Hall effect devices (Hall plates or Hall sensors) is their offset voltage, i.e., an output voltage at the same contacts in the absence of a magnetic field component acting on the active Hall effect region of the Hall effect device.
Therefore, improved Hall effect device having an increased magnetic sensitivity and a reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) may be desirable.